Updated 2026
Market Knowledge Interview Guide
Comprehensive Market Knowledge guide for investment banking interview preparation
2
Lesson Levels
38
Flashcards
33
Quiz Questions
Lesson Outline
Master essential market knowledge including current events, major players, economic indicators, and industry trends that interviewers expect you to know.
- 1. Why Market Knowledge Matters
- 2. Building Your Daily Information Diet
- Primary Sources
- What to Look For
- 3. The "Big Three" Economic Indicators
- A. The Federal Funds Rate
- B. The 10-Year U.S. Treasury Yield
- C. Inflation (CPI & PCE)
- 4. The Yield Curve: A Crystal Ball?
- 5. Monetary vs. Fiscal Policy
- Monetary Policy
- Fiscal Policy
- 6. The Landscape: Key Players and Institutions
- Sell-Side vs. Buy-Side
- Major Indices & Exchanges
- 7. Corporate Finance Strategy: The 7 Uses of Cash
- 8. Treasury Maturities: The Building Blocks
- 9. Sector Dynamics: Cyclical vs. Defensive
- 10. Structuring the Stock Pitch
- The Basic Framework
- 11. Current Events Framework
- 12. Know the Firm You're Interviewing With
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Flashcards
Preview: 6 of 38 flashcards
What are the three most critical economic indicators you should monitor before an interview?
Technical
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Market Knowledge
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Preview: 4 of 33 questions
Question 1 of 4
Which of the following best describes the relationship between bond prices and bond yields?
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Upgrade to DiamondAbout This Market Knowledge Interview Guide
Master essential market knowledge including current events, major players, economic indicators, and industry trends that interviewers expect you to know. Includes structured lessons, interactive flashcards, and practice quizzes to help you master Market Knowledge for investment banking interviews.
This guide is part of the Core Concepts section of our interview preparation platform. Each guide includes structured lessons at basic and advanced levels, interactive flashcards for active recall, and practice quizzes to test your understanding.
Structured Lessons
Basic and advanced content levels
38 Flashcards
Active recall for interview prep
33 Quiz Questions
Test your understanding
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Analyst
The IB Vine technical prep is beyond helpful, it's so much more fun quizzing myself every now and then vs. reading through the guides again.
Analyst
I personally found that the 'IB Vine Select' collection had some of the exact questions I was asked in my Qatalyst interviews.
Analyst
Thanks for starting up IB Vine. Couldn't have landed my offer without your help!
User Story
I honestly think you're doing gods work since IB Vine democratizes the whole interview process and helps a lot of students ace their interviews.
Analyst
I found this website really helpful, which also helps me better prepare for the technical interview in IBD position and get an offer.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
Check out IB Vine, specifically the 'IB Vine Select' questions. Once you can get a handle of those, it seems like you are in a spot where you're applying the concepts rather than simply memorizing them
Analyst
I've used IB Vine for my recruitment, and I could not imagine the journey without it. Thank you for creating a phenomenal resource.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
Beyond the 400 questions guide, try to understand a deeper level and the underlying concepts of the questions being asked. Use ibvine, it really helps.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
IB Vine has excellent questions, especially multistep ones. In my experience I've gotten grilled on accretion/dilution, bond math, and merger model questions. IB Vine has great practice for all of those.
User Story
As a nontraditional transfer student who has been rendered unavailable to many resources at my university (Leadership positions at clubs, immediately behind the recruiting cycle, etc.) IB Vine has been an absolute game changer in my IB prep.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
From my experience interviewing FT for IB, it’s not enough to just know the 400 questions anymore (it’s a good starting point) but to look at even more advanced questions. Would recommend IB Vine.
Seen on Twitter
heard all the new kids use IB Vine now. the questions on IB Vine helped me get the concepts down when I had to recruit and make a lot of BB/MM interviews easier than I expected for techs
User Story
Just got off the phone with a kid who interned at a Dallas PE firm. He mentioned that IBvine.io helped him secure that internship as well as his Summer Analyst offer, especially since he came from a non-target with no resources.
Analyst
The IB Vine technical prep is beyond helpful, it's so much more fun quizzing myself every now and then vs. reading through the guides again.
Analyst
I personally found that the 'IB Vine Select' collection had some of the exact questions I was asked in my Qatalyst interviews.
Analyst
Thanks for starting up IB Vine. Couldn't have landed my offer without your help!
User Story
I honestly think you're doing gods work since IB Vine democratizes the whole interview process and helps a lot of students ace their interviews.
Analyst
I found this website really helpful, which also helps me better prepare for the technical interview in IBD position and get an offer.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
Check out IB Vine, specifically the 'IB Vine Select' questions. Once you can get a handle of those, it seems like you are in a spot where you're applying the concepts rather than simply memorizing them
Analyst
I've used IB Vine for my recruitment, and I could not imagine the journey without it. Thank you for creating a phenomenal resource.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
Beyond the 400 questions guide, try to understand a deeper level and the underlying concepts of the questions being asked. Use ibvine, it really helps.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
IB Vine has excellent questions, especially multistep ones. In my experience I've gotten grilled on accretion/dilution, bond math, and merger model questions. IB Vine has great practice for all of those.
User Story
As a nontraditional transfer student who has been rendered unavailable to many resources at my university (Leadership positions at clubs, immediately behind the recruiting cycle, etc.) IB Vine has been an absolute game changer in my IB prep.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
From my experience interviewing FT for IB, it’s not enough to just know the 400 questions anymore (it’s a good starting point) but to look at even more advanced questions. Would recommend IB Vine.
Seen on Twitter
heard all the new kids use IB Vine now. the questions on IB Vine helped me get the concepts down when I had to recruit and make a lot of BB/MM interviews easier than I expected for techs
User Story
Just got off the phone with a kid who interned at a Dallas PE firm. He mentioned that IBvine.io helped him secure that internship as well as his Summer Analyst offer, especially since he came from a non-target with no resources.
Analyst
The IB Vine technical prep is beyond helpful, it's so much more fun quizzing myself every now and then vs. reading through the guides again.
Analyst
I personally found that the 'IB Vine Select' collection had some of the exact questions I was asked in my Qatalyst interviews.
Analyst
Thanks for starting up IB Vine. Couldn't have landed my offer without your help!
User Story
I honestly think you're doing gods work since IB Vine democratizes the whole interview process and helps a lot of students ace their interviews.
Analyst
I found this website really helpful, which also helps me better prepare for the technical interview in IBD position and get an offer.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
Check out IB Vine, specifically the 'IB Vine Select' questions. Once you can get a handle of those, it seems like you are in a spot where you're applying the concepts rather than simply memorizing them
Analyst
I've used IB Vine for my recruitment, and I could not imagine the journey without it. Thank you for creating a phenomenal resource.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
Beyond the 400 questions guide, try to understand a deeper level and the underlying concepts of the questions being asked. Use ibvine, it really helps.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
IB Vine has excellent questions, especially multistep ones. In my experience I've gotten grilled on accretion/dilution, bond math, and merger model questions. IB Vine has great practice for all of those.
User Story
As a nontraditional transfer student who has been rendered unavailable to many resources at my university (Leadership positions at clubs, immediately behind the recruiting cycle, etc.) IB Vine has been an absolute game changer in my IB prep.
Seen on WallStreetOasis
From my experience interviewing FT for IB, it’s not enough to just know the 400 questions anymore (it’s a good starting point) but to look at even more advanced questions. Would recommend IB Vine.
Seen on Twitter
heard all the new kids use IB Vine now. the questions on IB Vine helped me get the concepts down when I had to recruit and make a lot of BB/MM interviews easier than I expected for techs
User Story
Just got off the phone with a kid who interned at a Dallas PE firm. He mentioned that IBvine.io helped him secure that internship as well as his Summer Analyst offer, especially since he came from a non-target with no resources.
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